Child, once having communication problems, on the way to his dream (video)
Any conversation with 16-year-old Vanik Grigoryan ends with a performance of one part from a song. But it is only now that Vanik is ready to listen to and answer questions. Vanik Grigoryan’s mother Alina Andreasyan says that when her son was asked a question, he didn’t know what people want to listen from him, and sometimes he even didn’t reply.
It is the result of 72 months’ work that Vanik, who has autism and had communication problems, now studies at school, tells that most of all he likes mathematics and Russian and dreams of becoming a singer.
According to the words of Lusine Simonyan, Director of Children’s Development Fund, the center aids children having autism, cerebral palsy, speech development problems etc.
About 2000 children have received support at Children’s Development Fund in 17 years. Most of them had to wait for years to receive aid financed by the state, as there are many such children, but the state means are little. Yet, in this case, time flows not in favor of children. “When a child starts receiving professional service at the age of 4-5, it can last longer, than if the child started receiving treatment at the age of 1.5.”
If a child has development problems, and if the family is socially vulnerable, the fund aids the children for free. “We do not take into account whether the family receives benefit or there is category of disability. The social worker pays a visit to the family, assesses the situation, then the professional group assesses the urgency of a child’s problem, then, if there is financing, the child can receive aid.”
As of now 50 children are receiving aid from the fund. On May 16 the Fund organizes philanthropic auction-concert for fundraising for the center.
